Telephonic call instrument



No. 751,103. PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904. J.D.PBAGHEY.

TELEPHONIC CALL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 6, 1903.

K0 MODEL.

ATTORN'EYJ' Fatentedl February 2, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JOHN D. PEACHEY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

TELEPHONIC CALL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 51,103, dated February 2, 1904.

Application filed January 6, 1903.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN D. PEAGHEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telephonic Call Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make "and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to simplify the construction and arrangement of parts and secure greater compactness,whereby the work desired can be accomplished in a less bulky device, to enable the registering of the call or signal to be accomplished upon the upward movement of the receiver-hook, whereby the number registered may be seen or known before the conversation over the telephone begins, to enable the instrument to be employed in connection with series or multiple circuits, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved telephonic call instrument and in the arrangements and combinations of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved telephonic instrument in connection with portions of'central-station connections shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a contact-comb employed to cooperate with a contact-point on or of the hook of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the said contact-point adapted to be applied to the said hook. Fig. I is a detail View of a certain regulating-screw adapted to be employed in connection with a pneumatic cylinder used with a piston for retarding the upward movement of the hook. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation Serial No. 137,991. (No model.)

switch-hook, as shown clearly in Fig. l, and

arranged to normally raise the said switchhook a limited distance when released from the weight of the receiver 6. To control the up movement of the said switch-hook e, whereby it will slowly rise under the power of the spring f to enable the number of the subscribers station to be transmitted and distinctly registered upon the tape at the central oflice, so that the said tape can be clearly read by the attendant, I have provided a pneumatic check comprising a cylinder, piston, and attachments similar in general construction to those of a pneumatic door-check. Of the said pneumatic check, 9 indicates the cylinder, which is pivoted at its lower end upon a stud or post 7;, attached to the plate a. dindicates a screw disposed at the vented upper end of the cylinder 9, the said screw d being preferably slotted, and thus adapted to regulate the escape of air through the ventperforation of said cylinder in any suitable manner, so that the switch-hook 0 may rise more or less rapidly under the power of the spring f. j indicates the piston-rod pivotally connected with the switch-hook at a point about midway between the hooked. free end and fulcrum cl, and k indicates the piston within the said cylinder g, which piston is re tarded by the slow-issuing air and isin turn adapted to check the progress of the switch hook or lever when released from the receiver, as above referred to.

The pivotal arrangements of the cylinder'g upon its supporting-stud l2, and of the pistonrod 1' in connection with the switch-hook 0 serve to permit an oscillating movement of the said switch hook or lever on its fulcrum without any binding of the said parts when the switch hook or lever rises slowly against the outflow air within the cylinder, as will be understood.

I prefer to slot the piston-rod j, as shown at l in Fig. 1, so that there will be no interference thereof with the supporting-stud lb of the cylinder.

Contiguous to the switch-hook, preferably a little in from the hooked extremity, is arranged a series of contact-points m of peculiar construction adapted to extend out into engagement with a contact springarm a, formed on a bell-crank or lever 0, fulcrumed upon said switch-hook c. Said contact-points are in connection with the ground, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The series of contact-points m is of peculiar construction in that it resembles a sheet-metal comb the points or teeth of which are of considerable length, as in Fig. 2, and are separated by slots, saw-cuts, or the like, the extremities of said teeth being oppositely inclined or V shape to enable the cooperating contact spring-arm 22 to slide over the extremities without catching. Being of sheet metal, any of the teeth may be easily bent out of the path of the cooperating spring-arm 72, so that there will be a longer interval of time elapse between certain of the contacts, whereby a longer space or spaces will appear at the central oii'ice upon the tape or ribbon upon which the number of the subscriber's station is or is to be recorded, and thus by merely bending one, two, or more of the teeth I can secure a large variety of identifying-numbers upon the said tape to indicate from which station the signal is being or has been transmitted.

The cooperating spring-arm a and the bellcrank lever 0, of which it is a part, are thrown into and out of alinement with the series of contact-points by means of stops or posts 1) q, fixed upon the board (6 at or near the upper and lower limits of movement of the switchhook, the said bell-crank lever 0 being adapted to engage the said stops alternately, so that when the receiver a is placed upon the switchhook and the latter drops to its lowest position a bearing 1' of the bell-crank will engage the post 1 and the contact-arm a on said bellcrank lever will thereby be thrown into alinement with the series of contact-arms on, so that when the said switch-hook 0 rises under the power of its spring f when released from the receiver 0 the contact extremity of the said arm a will engage the extremities of the series of contact-points one after another to effect the desired signal. \Vhen the switch-hook 0 arrives at the upper limit of its movement, then a second bearing .9, formed on said bellcrank, will engage the post p, and then the said contact-arm will be thrown automatically out of the path of the series of contact-points, so that there will be no contact of terminals when the receiver a is returned to its posit-ion between the prongs of the hook c.

The bell-crank lever 0 is so arranged on its fulcrumal bearings as that it will maintain its position on the body of the hook c after having been moved by engagement with the posts, as above described. This is effected by a frictional contact either directly with the switch-hook or by contact with an intermediate spring interposed between the bell-crank lever and the said switch-hook in any suitable manner. This spring is not shown, as it does not form an essential element of my invention.

The bearings r .sof the bell-crank lever 0 for engaging the posts, as described, are preferably bent to lie against the upper and lower edges or surfaces, respectively, of the body of the hook 0, the said turned or bent bearings serving as stops for limiting the movements of the crank upon the hook, and thus maintaining the said bell-crank lever in proper operative relation to secure the desired oscillations of the spring-contact n to and from the line of the contact-points.

In connection with the stop or postp I prefer to employ a contact-spring 25, adapted to engage the metallic lever 0 immediately before the contact point contacts with the teeth when the instruments are connected in multiple with the main circuit, so that the calling-current has two paths of transmission to the central ofiicc and so that should one wire be broken the current may travel or pass over the other wire.

When the instruments are connected in series, the spring 6 is dispensed with, and the post p is employed as a stop and thrower for the lever-contact 0 only. The post q maybe provided with a similar spring u to insure a perfect contact.

In operating the device to effect a call the receiver 6 is withdrawn from the hook c, and the latter rises under the power of the spring The lever-contact it immediately enters into engagement with those teeth m of the comb which are properly bent into the path of said contact-point H to effect the desired call-number. hen such contact is made, the current generated at the battery 8 at the central office passes through the instrument and connecting-wires and ground in any suitable manner; but preferably it flows, as may be traced on the drawings, as follows: Starting from the ground 9 and ground-wire 10, Figs. 1 and 2, the current passes through the comb contact-point m to the hook-contact 72 and the hook c to the fulcrum (Z and thence through the wire 11, Fig. 1,to the induction-coil 12 and thence out through wire 18 to the receiver a. Thence it passes through wire 14 to the central ofiice 15, the current flowing through wire 16, resistance-coil 1'7, relay 18, and wire 19 to the battery 8, over the wire 20, and thence to the ground. This current may split or divide and also pass from the fulcrum (Z through wire 25, transmitter 6, wire 27, to wire 14, and thence to central oflice 15. As shown in the drawings, the current may divide and in part pass from the lever 0 over contact-spring 6, wire 21 to primary winding of coil 12, wire 22, to central office and at said ofiice through wire 23, and thence to the ground, as before. The calls are-recorded on the register 25, operated by the relay 18, in the usual manner.

I am aware that other arrangements of wires and connections may be employed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The improved telephonic electrical registering call system, comprising a registering device, battery and connections stationed at a central oflice, telephone set stationed distant from said central oflice in electrical connection with said ofi ice and its battery and registering device, having, its receiver hook ful crumed at one side of its case opposite that through which the hooked end extends and having intermediate of said hooked end and its fulcrum a pneumatic check comprising a cylinder and piston connected to said receiverhook, a contact-point and aspring for raising said hook when the said hook is relieved of the weight of the receiver, and a comb having a series of contact-points stationed in the path of the contact-point of the hook whereby when the hook rises automatically under the power of the spring, a contact of points will be made and records of the contacts effected upon the registerat the central oflice preliminary to a conversation or call being transmitted over the wires and electrical connections, said parts being combined, substantially as set forth.

2. The improved telephonic registering call system comprising a registering device, battery and electrical connections, and a telephonic set having a receiver-hook fulcrumed at one end and having at its opposite end the prongs to receive the receiver of the said set, a piston pivoted to said lever at apoint intermediate of said fulcrum and prongs, a pneumatic vented cylinder in which said piston 0perates, spring adapted to raise said hook when the latter is relieved of the weight of its receiver, and a series of contact-points electrically connected with said register, the individual points being adapted to successively contact with the hook as it rises, and close electrical connection with the register, whereby a record will be effected on said register preliminary to the transmission of a conversation over the telephonic line of connections, substantially as set forth.

3. The improved telephonic registering call system comprising a registering device, battery and electrical connections, and a telephonic set having a receiver-hook and spring adapted to raise said hook when the latter is relieved of the weight of its receiver, and a series of contact-points electrically connected with said register, the individual points being adapted to successively contact with the hook as it rises and close electrical connection with the register, and a pneumatic check in connection with the hook to retard its movements, said check comprising a piston pivoted on said receiver and a vented and pivoted cylinder into which the said piston extends, whereby a record will be eifected on said register preliminary to the transmission of a conversation over the telephonic line of connections, substantially as set forth. I

4. The combination, in telephonic registering call system, with the telephonic set having a receiver and receiver-support and a spring to operate the support when relieved of the weight of the receiver, of a bell-crank contact fulcrumed on said receiver-support and a series of contacts adapted to engage with the said bell crank contact, and stops adapted to shift said bell-crank contact and limit the movement of the support, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a telephonic regis tering call system, with the telephonic set having a receiver, a movable receiver-support and a spring to move said support when the receiver is withdrawn therefrom, of a bell-crank contact fulcrumed on said receiver-support and having, distant from the fulcrum, projecting bearings to engage the edges of the sup- 1 port, the movement of bell-crank contact be ing limited by said bearings, and a series of cooperating contacts, and electrical connections arranged and adapted to operate, substantially as set forth.

6. In a telephonic call system, the combination with the receiver-hook fulcrumed at one end and having the prongs between which the receiver may be seated at the opposite end, ofan intermediate piston connected to said hook, I I0 a vented cylinder in which the said piston works, a spring adapted to force the piston lengthwise of the cylinder, and an electrical contact-terminal arranged on said lever at a point between the piston and the prongs and 5 adapted to engage a series of contacts stationed adjacent to said receiver-hook, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of 120 December, 1902.

JOHN D. PEACHEY.

Witnesses: I

CHARLES H. PELL, C. B. PITNEY. 

